Locking device



Jan. 9, 1934. F; w T B Y 9 1,943,099

LOCKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 31, 1932 Patented Jan. 9, 1934 PATENT; FFiCE LOCKING DEVICE Application October 31, 1932. Serial No. 640,434

20 Claims.

The present invention relates to locking devices and more particularly to locking devices for use in conjunction with desk drawers.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a locking device for desk drawers in which all drawers or" the desk may be locked by turning a key; to provide a locking device of the character above indicated which is hidden from view in its assembly with the desk; and, to provide such a locking device which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, convenient in assembly and efiective in use.

All illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of a desk, portions thereof being broken away to better illustrate the operation of the locking device;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the locking device per se, shown in its relation to a drawer key lock and in its relation to one of the other drawers of the desk which is shown as fragmentary in character;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View, partly in section and partly broken away, showing the actuating lever of the device raised by the elevation of the latch bolt of the key lock and the same lever dropped as indicated in dotted lines when the latch bolt is in unlocked position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational sectional view showing the manner in which the side drawers of the desk are locked by means of the lever-actuated gravity-operable bars; and Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the operative connection between one of the looking arms and its actuating lever.

Referring now to the drawing in which like parts are designated by the same numerals in the several views, a desk of the conventional onice type has a fiat top 1, middle front legs 2 and end front legs 3. A pair of vertically-spaced middle stringers 4, 5 are secured interjacent the middle front legs in any conventional manner below the desk top 1, the stringer 5 supporting the middle rawer 7, and a plurality of vertically-spaced side drawer-supporting stringers 8 are secured interjacent the middle and end legs 2, 3 in any,

suitable manner for upporting the side drawers 9. stringers 19 forming drawer slides and supporting means for the panels 11 run rearwardly from each of the front legs 2, 3 and the drawers are all provided with a pair of conventional drawer pulls 12.

Within a groove 14 on the inner side of the stringer 4 is seated a lever here shown as a pair of horizontally-disposed U-shaped rods 15, 16 whose respective inner ends 17, 18 register with and are disposed above the latch bolt 19 of the key lock 20 when the middle drawer 7 is in closed position as best shown in Figure 2. $30

Mounted adjacent the side of each middle front leg is a gravity-operated member or bar 21 provided with a plurality of laterally-projecting portions here shown as studs 22 which are adapted to drop or seat in the wells 23 of the side drawersupporting stringers 8 when the middle drawer is in its unlocked position and are adapted to engage within the stops 24 here shown as recesses of the side drawers adjacent to lower inside bottom edge of each side drawer when the middle 7? drawer is in its locked position, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained. Stops of any suitable character such as projecting lugs secured to the drawers and adapted to contact the studs 22 may of course be substituted for mechanically Z5 equivalent recesses 24.

The top of each arm or bar is provided with a rigidly-secured laterally and forwardly projecting member 25 whose outer end is turned inwardly and is provided with an aperture 26 in which the outer end 27 of the U-shaped rod loosely fits when the locking device is in its assembled relation.

In operation, the vertical elevation of the latch bolt 19 effected by turning the key within the lock 20 raises the inner ends of the U-shaped rods provided the middle drawer is in its closed position. The rods forming the actuating lever are thus rotated within the groove 14 and their outer ends 27 which loosely fit within the aper- 9 tures 26 of the member 25 causes the locking bars or members to raise. In the elevated movement of these bars, the projecting studs 22 engage within the side drawer recesses 24 to lock 7 the side drawers when they are in their closed position. Conversely, when the key of the lock is reversely turned, the locking bars or arms 21 fail by gravity and the projecting lugs 22 drop or seat within the wells 23, permitting withdrawal of all of the drawers. It will thus be seen that a novel type of drawer locking device has been herein shown and described which is hidden from view, is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, convenient in assembly, and efiective in use.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a drawer look, a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a stop, means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and a bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement with said stop during the locking movement of said key lock.

2. In a drawer look, a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a recess, means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and a vertically-disposed bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement with said recess during the locking movement of said key lock.

3. In a drawer lock, a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a recess, means for looking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontallydisposed lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and a vertically-disposed gravityoperated bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement with said recess during the locking movement of said key lock.

4. Ina drawer lock, a .drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a recess, means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever provided with a laterally-turned portion in registration with the latch bolt of said key lock and operable thereby, and a vertically- -disposed gravity-operated bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with a laterally-projecting portion adapted for engagement with said recess during the locking movement of said key lock.

5. The combination with a structure of the class described having a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt and a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a stop, of means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and a bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement with said stop during the locking movement of said key lock.

6. The combination with a structure of the class described having a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt and a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a recess, of means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and a vertically-disposed bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recess during the locking movement of said key lock.

7. The combination with a structure of the class described having a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt and a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a recess, of means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and a vertically-disposed gravity-operated bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recess during the locking movement of said key lock.

8. The combination with a structure of the class described having a drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt and a second drawer disposed at one side of said first mentioned drawer provided with a recess, of means for locking said second drawer during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever provided with a laterally-turned portion in registration with the latch bolt of said key lock and operable thereby, and a vertically-disposed gravity-operated bar operatively connected with said lever and provided with a laterallyprojecting portion adapted for engagement Within said recess during the locking movement of said key lock.

9. In a drawer lock, a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a stop, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and bars operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement with said stops respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

10. In a drawer lock, a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and vertically-disposed bars operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recesses respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

11. In a drawer look, a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a horizontally-disposed lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and vertically-disposed gravity-operated bars operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recesses respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

12. In a drawer look, a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a pair of horizontally-disposed levers provided with laterally-turned portions each in registration with the latch bolt of said key lock and operable thereby, and a pair of verticallydisposed gravity-operated bars operatively connected with said levers respectively, and each provided with a laterally-projecting portion adapted for engagement within each of said recesses respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

13. The combination with a structure of the class described having a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a stop, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and bars operatively con nected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement with said stop respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

14, The combination with a structure of the class described having a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a pair of levers directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and bars operatively connected with said levers respectively and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recesses respectively during the looking movement or" said key lock.

15. The combination with a structure of the class described having a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a pair of horizontally-disposed levers directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and vertically-disposed gravity-operated bars operatively connected with said levers respectively and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recesses respectively during the l cking movement of said key lock.

16. The combination with a structure of the class described having a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a pair of horizontally-disposed levers provided with laterally-turned portions each in registration with the latch bolt of said key lock and operable thereby, and a pair of verticallydisposed gravity-operated bars operatively cohnected with said levers respectively, and each provided with a laterally-projecting portion adapted for engagement within each of said recesses respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

17. The combination with a structure of the class described having a middle drawer provided with a key lock having a latch bolt, a drawer on either side of said middle drawer each provided with a recess adjacent its lower inside bottom edge, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and bars operatively connected with said lever and provided with means adapted for engagement within said recess respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

18. The combination with a structure of the class described having spaced legs for supporting a top and provided with a middle drawer between said legs adapted to be locked by a key lock having a latch bolt and further provided with a drawer on either side of said middle drawer, each of said side drawers having a recess ajacent its lower inside bottom edge, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever within a groove on the inner side of said top and directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and gravityoperable bars adjacent each of said legs operatively connected with said lever and provided with laterally-projecting portions adapted for engagement within said recesses respectively during the locking movement of said key lock.

19. The combination with a structure of the class described having spaced legs for supporting a top and provided with a middle drawer between said legs adapted to be locked by a key lock having a latch bolt and further provided with a drawer on either side of said middle drawer, stringers for supporting each of said side drawers each provided with a well and each of said side drawers having a recess in registration with the well of its supporting stringer, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock and gravityoperable bars adjacent each of said legs operatively connected with said lever and provided with laterally-projecting portions adapted for engagement within said recesses readapted for engagement within said recesses respectively when the latch bolt is in its locked position and adapted toseat within said wells when the latch bolt is in its unlocked position.

20. The combination with a structure of the class described having spaced legs for supporting a top and provided with a middle drawer between said legs adapted to be locked by a key lock having a latch bolt and further provided with a drawer on either side of said middle drawer, stringers for supporting each of said side drawers each provided with a well and each of said side drawers having a recess in registration with the well of its supporting stringer, means for locking said side drawers during the locking movement of said key lock comprising a lever within a groove on the inner side of said top and directly operable by the latch bolt of said key lock, and gravity-operable bars adjacent each of said legs operatively connected with said lever and provided with laterallyprojecting portions adapted for engagement within said recesses respectively when the latch bolt is in its locked position and adapted to seat within said wells when the latch bolt is in its unlocked position.

' FRED W. TOBEY. 

